3am in the morning

I used to sleep like a baby but since the arrival of the son and heir that has all changed. Emily the eldest will sleep from as soon as she goes to bed, say 730 and won’t wake until 730 the following morning. Josh on the other hand is completely the opposite. He will always wake at least two times a night and always around 3am. It has got to the stage now that my body knows this so automatically wakes up. Now I feel tonight Josh knows this and has decided to have a laugh with Daddy cos as I write this blog at 430 am I am obviously awake listening to him snore in the next room. Now being awake at this time has some advantages, this is the time of day where I can sit and plan ahead and get some of my many ideas that are bursting inside my head down on paper, well my note pad on the iPhone at least.
The main thoughts this morning is about planing to play again this year, nothing major just play a few events and see if I can get a few things going. After hitting it well at the range the other night I’m getting the bug back. I’ve got three weeks to my lesson with Gary Smith so full steam ahead for practice and fitness.

2012 is going to be very exciting getting things going in the new shop and getting busy teaching out on the range, combine that with a bit of playing and the rest of the time will be spent with quality time with the family. Yeah looking forward to it now.

Do we need a new way to play the golf?

Today at 5pm on Sky Sports 3 we will get to see the first Professional Powerplay event. It could prove to change the face of golf as we know it or it could be disregarded as quick as saying Barca didn’t give the world a lesson on how to play football. My opinion….. very intrigued!! I love the idea and I’m positive it will help promote the game and increase participation, but I’m not sure that golfers at private members clubs will embrace this radical new format. Its just that thing called change.

Tonight some of the worlds best will try their hand at this form of quick golf. The likes of Paul Casey, Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter, John Daly, Gary Player and Paula Creamer to name but a few will have to decide to play safe or go for double points by attacking the harder black flag. For more info on Powerplay see their website www.powerplay-golf.com

Ryder Cup Washout

The excitement has been growing for weeks now and had been counting the days till the Ryder Cup. The tickets came through and the strategic planning begun.

We had decided to go down Thursday the day before so we could get up bright and breezy on the Friday. The plan was to be up by 5 out by 530 get to the buses early and try and race to the first tee. Here we could be apart if the fantastic atmosphere and see how they handle the immense pressure.

Well all best plans, we arrived at park and ride with the other 25000 people all with same idea and it was bouncing it down. After arriving at the course we had just 25 minutes to get to the 1st. This disappeared very quickly as there was at least a half hour walk to get there. We decided on setting up camp at the 5th green where there was a nice big screen where we could watch the action till the groups came round.

It was quite interesting to watch the greenskeepers at work on the green. They were moving the flag for the days position. Perfection is not the word, the process they went through was unbelievable, checking and double checking to make sure that the flag was perfectly straight.

The greenkeepers were kept busy for the next few hours as the rain kept coming and coming and coming. They cleared the greens as best they could but still the course became unplayable.

So we had travelled 4 hours on Thursday and stayed in a hotel, got up at 5 am only to not get near where we wanted to be, watched the play on a big TV (which we could of done at home) until the groups came through. Westwood, Kaymer, mickelson and Johnson came through then they decided to suspend play. Brilliant!!!

The rest of the day was waiting around wet through in the PGA tent for the news of re starting. By 2 o’clock we had enough and decided to call it a draw. We got back to the bus and got out of the torrential rain.

To make matters worst still we got back to the car to find it marooned by 6 inches of water. I paddled through had a change then set off back to Manchester. To but a tin hat on it the traffic was awful as you could imagine, M6 on a Friday afternoon. We got back just after 8 and I decided that going to the Ryder Cup this year was a very bad idea!

Has it put me off going again, well we will see?

Ryder Cup picks

So the teams are now picked for the Ryder Cup at the beginning of October. Pavin had to pick Tiger despite his form and his problems he is still number 1 in the world and that stands for a lot when you are should shoulder to shoulder on the 1st tee under the most intensive pressure. Its the same with Harrington, sorry 3 times major champion Harrington. It doesn’t matter how bad you hit it heading into the week it’s how you handle yourself in the pressure cauldron for three days in October. The other picks of Ricky Fowler, Cink and Johnson were great picks it is going to be very interesting.

Just booked the golf for when we are down there. Booked on at Machynys which is a Nicklaus design on a peninsula. Looks fantastic so really looking forward to it now.

So whats been happening

I haven’t played a great deal since the end of may due to the little Josh entering our life. Extremely hard work but well well worth it, having kids certainly gives you a different view on life.

I’m starting to get the bug back for the game. Back into the practice and even thinking of new clubs, I know serious!!!!!! Got a big game at the end of the month down in Wales somewhere near Cardiff. The boys are off to watch the Ryder Cup on the Friday and we are going down the day before for a game. Anybody know a good place to play round south east Wales. Has been suggested Machynys looks good on web.

Had some great short game practice this last week and starting to get some good feelings. Hitting the range again this week to get swing back up to scratch. Next will be my fitness, running begins Monday morning.

Will keep you informed with the progress.

Well its been a while since I left a blog, the reason for this is I’ve just been so god darn busy! Golf club life has been very busy, this weather really gets everyone out. Lessons have been great and have been doing some great work with quite a few of you.

I have played a few times in the last week, even though I’m hitting it so much better I’m still not happy with the scores I’m shooting. I played Moortown in the Club Pros qualifier, I got of to an horrendous start, bogey, double bogey, double bogey. After that I settled down and hit some of the best tee shots I think I have ever hit. I played St Annes Old Links last Wednesday with Graham Barber in the PGA National Pro Am. Played great again but again had two double bogeys on the front nine from no where to shoot 4 over. We were stood on the 10th looking at the scoreboard, the leaders had finished with -10. Just the 14 shots behind then!! We got it back to just +1 but wasn’t anywhere good enough. What a great day though, weather, company and course fantastic. The greens were like putting on my Huxley putting mat they were that good. Friday gone was the Wisedale at Trentham Park. What a beautiful course that is! Shame my golf wasn’t quite as beautiful. I was flagging half way round the afternoon round, think the previous week had caught up with me.

Talking of the previous week on Sunday I ran the Manchester 10k. I hadn’t really done as much training as I should of done but I managed to get round. My target was to beat the hour so I was very pleased when I came in in 56.58. 10k is my limit I think, i enjoyed it to the end and didn’t feel like dying when I finished unlike when I ran the North Run back in 2008. I managed to raise just over £500 which goes to the great cause The Christie Hospital in Manchester.

Well I’m playing again tomorrow so I’m off to clean the clubs and get an early night. Will blog again soon,

Happy golfing

Ian

Cleveland Clinic Day

Hi everybody, one word that describes today – Awesome! I had a conversation with a member just before I came away tonight and he asked how did the day go? I replied “it couldn’t of been any better!” All the weeks of preparation paid off as the day ran like clockwork. The weather made the day, the sun shone bright all day and members and visitors came out to see Andrew Murray give two short game clinics. The first class was very well supported with over 25 golfers all listening carefully to pick up a few tips. Running in conjunction with the Clinics was the demo day. Dean and Jo were the expert fitters on site for the day and they helped many golfers get fit for new irons, woods and wedges. I just wish we could have an event like this every week. The club was buzzing and everybody that came down to the club had a great time. You really would not get this kind of atmosphere at any other club, amazing!

Pro Am

It was my first round of golf for the year on Thursday over at Knutsford Golf Club. I was playing in a Pro Am with members Mike Hall, Pete Hall and Glyn Hampton. The forecast wasn’t great and we were expecting rain but it didn’t arrive until we were walking down the 18th hole.

I have been practising hard at the range and have been very happy with the progress since my lesson three weeks ago. This was to be a big test of how the changes would hold up under the pressure of competition. I started off great with a good par up the first then knocked  six iron to 2ft at the 2nd for birdie (thanks to new GPS, will come back to this later). I have been working hard on having the right attitude when playing. As I have not played seriously for some years now and its amazing how the demons can get in your mind. After an all right front nine with the new swing holding up I was quite pleased but as the round progressed I could feel my mind beginning to wander and the old flaws began to creep back in.

In the end I had to settle for a 77 which was probably deserved as I just haven’t earned to right to be better than that yet. I need to get back to the range and keep working on the changes, but I need to play more holes under pressure so I can learn to put a score together again. They say that this game is mental challenge and I won’t disagree. I need to believe again and start thinking Im as good as I actually am!

Our team score was 130 which was -10, we left a few out there but we had no chance of catching the winners. They shot a score of 122 which was -18!!!!! Yes thats right -18.

The Pro Am was sponsored by Snooper who make a handheld GPS that gives you the yardages out on the course. They gave me one to trial on the day and it proved to be very useful, as the shot at the 2nd hole proved. I definitely recommend using one as there are now legal at Poulton. I now have one in the shop for you to trial the next time you are down.

Right I’m back off to the range, speak to you soon.

Cleveland Golf Clinic/Demo day

On Saturday 24th April there is to be a Cleveland Golf Short Game Game clinic hosted by Ex European Tour winner Andrew Murray and a demo day to try all of Cleveland Golf latest equipment. The day will start at 11am with clubs being available on the Chip & Pin Area for you to try. There will be two FREE short game clinics, one at 12pm and the other at 2pm. Anybody wishing to attend just leave me a comment and I will book you in.

Good day at the range

I visited the Trafford Centre range tonight on the way home from work. I got 100 balls and started off hitting a few wedges to get warmed up. Things were feeling good so I moved up to the six iron. I’m really getting the right feelings now and this can be seen in the ball flight. The first few shots were not flying as far as expected and I hit a few pulls, I then realised that I was not completing my swing. Correcting this the ball flew longer and straighter, the balls landing within 5 yards of each other time and time. I decided to give it a go with the new Nike Tour driver. I pegged the first one up and shelled it to the back of the range, the second the same and this is how it went for a good 10 mins. I have never hit the driver this well ever. Think I have finally found the right driver, right swing and right attitude. I have now entered a further 5 competitions after the Pro Am next week. I am not thinking about just getting round I am thinking about contending. Lets wait and see!!!